Pianoforte



UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEioE.

MICHAEL MILLER, OF ROCHESTER, NEV YORK.

PIANOFORTE.

Specicaton of Letters Patent No. 8,194, dated July 1, 1851.

To all whom t may concern Be it known that I, MICHAEL MILLER, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Valve for Reed Instruments; and l do hereby declare that the following is a full and eXact description of the same, reference being had to 'the annexed drawings, making a part of this specification, in which- Figure l, is a perspective view of the valve, showing all the parts connected with it, with the valve closed; Fig. 2 is a perspective view of my valve showing all the parts connected with it, with the valve open.

A A A, Fig. l, represent the key frame.

-B, Fig. l, represents the key.

O, Fig. l, represents a steady pin, which is driven into the key frame and works in a slot made in the underside of the key, for the purpose of steadying the key when it is pressed down.

D E F, Fig. l, represent the valve.

Gr, Fig. l, is a pin driven into, and fastened to the underside of the key, passing down through the key frame and resting on the end of the valve at F.

H, Fig. l, represents the cover of the wind chest.

I, J, Fig. l, is a spring which is driven into and fastened to the cover of the wind chest H and it passes through the valve in a groove sawed for the purpose and acts upon the valve at D and holds it down onto the cover of the wind chest. Y

K, K, Fig. l, are steady pins, for the purpose of grinding the valve when it is raised or lowered.

L, Fig. l, is a cushion or cloth :tor the purpose of preventing rattling when the key is worked.

Now it will be seen that the spring act-ing on the valve at D and the weight of the key resting on the valve at F keeps the valve down onto the cover of the wind chest from D to E, so that the wind cannot raise the valve at either end. I do not make use of a hinge at E to connect the valve with thecover of the wind on .account of the necessity of taking out and putting in the valve in case of timing or repairing so that there is nothing to keep the valve down at E when the weight of the key is taken off at F. The spring which passes through the valve keeps the valve down at the end of the valve D and when I take of the weight of the key i from the valve at F there is nothing to pre vent the valve from raising up except the spring at the point D so when I take off the weight of the key at F the valve does raise up at E by the force of the wind from the wind chest passing up through the aperture which the valve is intended to cover. When the key stands in the position as shown, Fig. l, and then is pressed down for the purpose of opening the valve, the end of the valve at F is pressed down by means of the key and opens the valve by raising up the point D. The valve at E rests on the cover of the wind chest and acts as a fulcrum to a lever. New it will be seen that the point E acting as a ulcrum to a lever, and the spring acting at the point D would be equivalent to a weight to be raised at D. Now if wish to raise the weight or the force of the spring at D, by pressing down the point at F it will be seen that the fulcrum must be held down at E. lVhen the key is pressed down onto the cushion L, the valve is raised, as represented at M, N, and O, Fig. 2. P, Fig. 2, is the pin represented at G, Fig. l. Q, Fig. 2, represents the cover of the wind chest7 shown at H, Fig. 1. R,

Fig. 2, is an aperture through the cover of the wind chest, the reed being placed on the underside of the wind chest, directly under the aperture R. It will be seen that the wind, passing through the aperture R, the reed is acted upon, when the valve is open, as represented at M, N, and O, Fig. 2. When the finger is taken from the key S, Fig. 2, t-he spring T, presses down the end of the valve, at M, and raises the end of the valve O. By means of the pin P, which is driven into the under side of the key S, the key S is raised into the position, represented at B, Fig. l, and the valve M, N, O, Fig. 2, is pressed down and held, as represented by D, E, F, Fig. l, and the aperture, represented at R, is closed.

The advantage of my invention is, the valve being held down at the point D, and the weight of the key, resting on the valve at F, so that, whether the aperture through the cover of the wind chest, is long or short, the wind cannot raise the valve at either point D, or E. Another advantage is the spring, acting so near on a line with the under side of the valve, so that it produces very little, or no friction. Another advantage is, the valve is worked with less rattlingA and less leakage, and the sound produced, is more substantially as herein described and repreprompt than that of those now in use. sented.

That I claim as my invention and desire MICHAEL MILLER to secure by Letters Patent, is

5 The spring, acting on the Valve at D, in Witnesses:

combination with the Weight of the key, GEO. H. JANES, resting on the valve at F, for the purposes JUSTIN L. BISHOP. 

